Non-motoring > Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Zero Replies: 17
View Threaded 

New Sat 13 Oct 12 08:08 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - Zero
Sad news.

The vulcan is to be grounded permanently in 2013. Lack of engine spares, wing modifications required, beyond the scope and skills of the present maintenance crew.


www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-19926464

www.vulcantothesky.org/news/409/82/Official-Press-Release.html


Catch it when and where you can for the last time in your, or anyone else's lifetime.
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 13 Oct 12 at 08:08
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 09:35 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - sooty123
Inevitable they won't ever going to be long term like say BBMF. I've heard a few rumblings that they weren't always on the ball but still even if they were 100% every day this day was always going to come. It's simply too complex and complex to fly long term. I think there is only 15 years between it and the Lancaster yet they're poles apart in terms of complexity. It was at our place this year big old thing.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 09:38 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - Duncan
I have had a look at the second link and the info is only up to September 2012. Any news on its flying programme in 2013?
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 10:52 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - Dave_
>> Any news on its flying programme in 2013?

XH558's appearances are normally only confirmed a few days, or maybe a couple of weeks, in advance, at least they were this year. I would expect some return visits to events she's flown at in previous years.

I watched her fly over one Sunday last month from the highest point in Leicestershire, as she went from an airshow near me to one up in Badwolf's neck of the woods. An amazing sight, all the more so now.
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Sat 13 Oct 12 at 10:54
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 14:36 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - Armel Coussine
The Vulcan was a magnificent brute although already obsolete when last used in anger during the Falklands conflict. It made a hell of a good noise and was ponderously athletic like a delta winged fighter, being capable of near vertical climb.

I'm not surprised unaffordable wing modifications are needed though. The outer skin on the upper wing surfaces rippled visibly when the aircraft was being put into a steep climb. You wouldn't want a fatigue fracture followed by a DH110 scenario, airframe stops abruptly and engines rip out of the front and continue on their own in assorted parabolas... .
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 15:37 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - Harleyman
Let's put it in perspective. It's outlasted Concorde by a considerable margin.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 15:48 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - Zero
Concorde put in LOTS more hours and miles.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 16:13 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - sooty123
more hours but less stress the vulcan spent alot of time down low. Eats up fatigue life a lot faster. It's more than just hours on the clock.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 16:19 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - Zero
Concorde spent much more time expanding and contracting down low, up high. Getting hot, getting cold. Twice a day in fact Now that REALLY causes fatigue.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 17:21 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - sooty123
it did but vulcans spent their time dodging sams and fighters at low level on flag exercises and in the uk. Mil fighters and bombers a/c burn through fi life that would give civ airline beancounters a heart attack.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 17:39 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - Bromptonaut
Originally designed as high altitude strike aircraft V-Bombers were re-invented for low level work after the Powers incident showed the vulnerability of any a/c above ground level. The Valiant gave up almost immediately and the Victor had it's own fatigue problems.

Used to see Vulcans daily in the seventies going down the low level training route over the plains land north of York.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 19:34 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - Harleyman
My late father's neighbour was a Chief Technician at RAF Waddington, and worked on the Vulcans. He once told me that on particularly windy days, it was virtually impossible to stand upright beneath a Vulcan when it was out on the tarmac.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 20:50 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - DeeW
A Vulcan made an appearance, to a massive ovation, at the the Little Gransden Air Show on the August Bank Holiday Sunday this year - a beautiful craft.

This is a wonderful show if you are anywhere near Cambridge/Bedford area next year. Despite my reservations, it was well worth the early start and drive from a party near Carmarthen - sadly the traffic jams on the M4 leading up to the Severn Bridge meant we missed the first quarter of the flying.

tinyurl.com/8o5kac6
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 23:30 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - Mark
All in all a bit sad when it will finally fly no more.

A feeling not made any more comfortable when one recalls that earlier this year the current custodians destroyed 2 fully serviceable engines when then they forgot to remove bags of silica beads when starting the engines up with the result that 2 engines were trashed when the bags were ingested through the system.

This also meant that the final 2 useable spare engines they held were entered into service earlier than anticipated with the consequent reduction in the remaining life of the aircraft. If I recall correctly each engine is only good for 200hrs use.

As always

Mark
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 13 Oct 12 23:34 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - No FM2R
I promise that if I'm ever one of the popstar / football star / simon cowell types I will absolutely give significant money to projects such as these.

If my fortune was £150m, I do hope I'd have the balls to chuck a couple in the direction of such a thing.

As it is, where should I send my 17/- ?

Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 14 Oct 12 12:33 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - Fenlander
Sadly the private/volunteer sector is ill suited to keeping such aircraft flying. I'm pleased it gained this extra time but would rather see a dignified end next year than have it pile in on the edge of an airfield somewhere with the loss of all crew.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Sun 14 Oct 12 at 12:34
Reply to this message | Report message
      2  
New Sun 14 Oct 12 19:47 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - Badwolf
I had the utter privilege to be seated next to a retired V-Bomber pilot at a family wedding last year. He told some fascinating tales, which made seeing XH558 at the airshow alluded to by DaveTDCi above all the more special.

It is such a shame that she won't be flying again after next year but like Fenlander I would far rather that she bowed out gracefully than made history for all the wrong reasons.

Think it's time to re-read 'Vulcan 607'...
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Mon 15 Oct 12 12:45 
 Vulcan XH558 to fly no more. - TheManWithNoName
Vulcan 607 - Please will someone make it into a film? Spileberg? Anyone?

Last time I saw a Vulcan was last year in the Lake District. We were travelling along the A66 between Keswick and Penrith when my 7 yr old sone spots a craft flying off to the right across the valley with sun glinting off the wings.
It looked majestic and almost like something out of a sci fi movie.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
Latest Forum Posts